Unexpected Hero

Retired Philadelphia police Captain Ray Lewis stood in full uniform with the Occupy Wall Street protestors this morning holding up a sign that read, "NYPD Don't Be Wall Street Mercenaries". When he he was arrested fellow protestors cheered.

Captain Lewis's bravery is a reminder that the Occupy Wall Street is a movement that encompasses people from all walks of life, from senior citizens to public servants, hippies to college grads and everything in between. The protest is about insisting that we, as a country, as Americans, can and must do better. And who doesn't support that?

photo via @Matthew4300

Operation: Do Better

On a recent 60 Minutes, they did a segment on a program called Operation: Proper Exit, which takes soldiers suffering from PTSD back to Iraq to get closure. While I am a firm believer in therapy and doing what we can to repair the mental and physical wounds of our soldiers, I couldn't help feel like this was a high profile gesture of extraordinary compassion extended to a select few. We shouldn't have been there in the first place, but what's done is done. First, we need to think about how to more evenly take care of the hoards of veterans with problems. And Second, we need to rethink war, defense and armies because there is no way to fix a broken soldiers and we can't afford to give every soldier the kind of closure that Operation: Proper Exit may offer. This war has been marred by reports of poor or misuse of limited resources and to me this is just one more example. We need to cut our loses, get out, decide how best to treat and care for our veterans.



Millennials, we need to think different. We can do better.

Oops! The Cain Edition

With the GOP's proclivity for hokey sayings, it is surprising that they seemingly don't know my favorite: you can't polish a turd. Picking candidates who have no intelligence or experience and trying to teach, or cram, the foundational current events, civic, political science and international affairs knowledge simply does not work.

examples:

The entire Bush presidency

2008: Sarah Palin can not name a single magazine she reads on a weekly basis.

2012: Rick Perry can't name the third department he would dismantle if elected.

and the latest...

These aren't gotcha moments. This isn't accidentally misspeaking. This is someone who has no idea what he is talking about. This is someone who has no right being President. He is not the best representative of America or Americans.

Art?

One of these photos just fetched $4.33 million at Christie's, the other is a snapshot I took at Half Moon Bay

Answer: http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/11/this-is-the-most-expensive-photograph-ever.html

NYC Marathon Through The Eyes Of The Talented Christoph Niemann

Christoph Niemann, illustrator and columnist for the New York Times sketched and tweeted while running the New York City Marathon.

credit: @clarajeffery

see more sketches from the marathon @abstractsunday

One of my good friends ran in yesterday's marathon so I tracked his progress mile-by-mile on the

marathon's website

and cheered most of the morning at 86th and 1st avenue. It was the first time, despite living in Boston and New York for the past eight years, that I really paid attention to a marathon and I was overwhelmed with respect and admiration for the energy, determination and endurance that all the runners put forth. It is truly remarkable what people are capable of when they are determined to reach a goal. All afternoon as I listened to people cheering on the runners, I kept thinking about the power of setting goals. The marathoners had a clear goal and a finish line, but I would argue the Occupy Wall Street protestors also have a goal and while it is more abstract, they are enduring discomfort, energy and determination with a goal in mind. Then I think about the Super Committee, which has arguably the most important goal, to improve the budget of our country and therefore do what is best for the majority of American, but there is little hope that they will meet that goal. Of course, there is only one course to finish the marathon and there are dozens (if not hundreds) of possible "courses" to the betterment of America. Everyone in the marathon agrees that the goal is to cross the finish, you can run or walk but everyone sets out with the same image for success in their minds. The problem with the super committee is that the image for success vary and, at times, are diametrically opposed. The video from my previous post makes me proud to be an American, but iI know it infuriates and disappoints many others. How can something be so clearly a point of pride and national identity to one American and not another?

As I transition in to the non-profit sector, people are continually pointing out that through stories it is easy to remind people, who on the surface may look like they have nothing in common, of their similarities. For the most part people are good and they want the same thing. We have to simplify the story, remind Americans of their commonalities and whenever possible set small, clear goals with limited "course" options.